Friends of Hamilton will host the first FOH Spring Fest, featuring bluegrass music, barbeque, and fun for the whole family on Saturday, May 12, from 1-6 p.m. at the Highway 58 Fire Department Training Center, 9100 Snow Hill Road (at Mahan Gap Road), in Ooltewah.

While there is no admission to attend, the event will help raise funds for the campaign to incorporate the new city of Hamilton.

Spring Fest will feature several bluegrass bands throughout the event. It will also cater to kids, with fire trucks to explore, a special fire department presentation and other activities. Food will include Dude’s custom-made barbeque, hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream.

A mini town hall will be held at 3 p.m. in the training facility’s auditorium to give area residents an opportunity to review plans for the new city of Hamilton and ask questions. Residents can also stop by to sign the petition to incorporate and donate to Friends of Hamilton.

Residents who wish to find out more about the plan prior to the meeting can visit on website at FriendsOfHamilton.org. From there, they can choose to “Like Us” for Facebook and also access YouTube Channel to see video presentations, interviews and previous town hall in Birchwood. The service plan is listed under the “Petition” page.

Friends of Hamilton is a non-profit organization working to create the model city of Hamilton, which can better represent the views and meet the needs of local residents while offering limited infrastructure services. Their objective is to increase the quality of life, keep property taxes low and streamline government operations.